Method and system for stabilizing an egg tray

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an automated method for positioning eggs on a tray that comprises the automated detection of the presence/absence of eggs in the cells of a tray, and the picking-up of eggs from a supply and the placement thereof in the empty cells of a tray. The invention also relates to a system or positioning eggs on a stabilizing tray, the tray including evenly distributed cells in which the eggs are placed, one or more cells being likely not to contain eggs, this information being stored in an information processing unit, wherein said system includes a means in the form of a robot having an egg pick-up head that are driven by the information processing unit in order to pick up eggs from a supply tray and to place them in the empty cells of the stabilizing tray.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 12/527,541 filedMay 4, 2010, which in turn is a National Phase entry of PCT ApplicationNo. PCT/FR2008/050259, filed Feb. 18, 2008, which claims priority fromFrench Application No. 0753312, filed Feb. 16, 2007, each of which ishereby fully incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and an automated system forstabilizing egg trays.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the poultry industry, it is accepted that 5 to 30% of eggs are notfertile or viable, which leads to the absence of hatching of a chicken.To overcome this problem, some techniques have been developed fordiscriminating, for the purpose of elimination, between fertilized(having an embryo) and non-fertilized eggs. A currently known technicalsolution for discriminating between fertilized eggs is based on the useof optics or various luminous sources particularly laser as described inFR0512998.

This egg discriminating step is commonly called “egg candling.” Theelimination step of eggs identified as being non fertilized followingthe “candling” step is commonly called “removal” of eggs.

The combination of the “candling” and “removal” steps of eggs makes itpossible to obtain a homogenous population of fertilized eggs likely tohatch into a chicken.

Techniques in embryology have made it possible to add various compoundsbeneficial to the chickens inside eggs, directly in the embryo or in thevicinity of the embryo. In particular, such beneficial compounds mayresult in improved growth of the chicken, such as by the prevention ofillness, an increase in the percentage of hatched eggs, or even theimprovement of the poultry's physical characteristics. The addition ofcompounds in the fertilized egg is commonly called in ovo treatment.

In the particular case of illness prevention, and more particularly inthe case of vaccination, the in ovo treatment techniques based on theinjection of the vaccine through the egg shell by needle are widelyused. An injection system making the in ovo treatment possible whilereducing the effect on embryos caused by the injection of the vaccine isdescribed in patent FR1505870.

For economic reasons and in order to prevent any contamination risklinked to the treatment of the non fertilized eggs (there may be a riskof explosion or contamination due to the albumin contained in theseeggs), it is preferable to carry out the in ovo treatment of fertilizedeggs that are selected by a candling and removal step.

The economic viability of in ovo treatment mainly resides in theautomation of the set of candling, removal and the actual treatmentsteps. Technical solutions of integration and automation of these stepshave been described in patent FR2873894.

The currently available set of automated solutions for the candling andremoval of eggs can lead to the random distribution of fertilized eggsspread out over an entire presentation tray. As a result, particularlycomplex and costly injectors for carrying out the in ovo treatment havebeen developed such as is described in WO06/078499.

Manual replacement of eggs on the presentation tray has also beenutilized. In accordance with this technique, one or several operatorsmay place eggs into the holes of the trays from which non fertilizedeggs have been removed. This replacement step is commonly called“stabilizing.”

Manual “stabilizing,” however, may not be compatible with the processingrates which have been achieved through the automation of the “candling,”and “removal” steps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and method for stabilizing an egg tray according to the presentinvention substantially meets the aforementioned needs of the industry.

In an embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a systemthat makes it possible to automatically replace the removed eggs after“candling” and “removal” steps in order to obtain trays of fertilizedeggs distributed homogenously.

Thus, a purpose of the invention is an automated method for positioningeggs on a tray, comprising, in a automated fashion, the detection of thepresence or absence of eggs in the cells of a tray, the picking up ofeggs from a supply tray, and the placement of eggs in the empty cells ofthe tray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, with an egg pick-uphead, the eggs are picked up by groups from a supply tray or stabilizingtray comprising a number of egg cells that is a multiple of a group.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, all the eggs of agroup are placed before picking up another group of eggs from the supplytray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the eggs are placedone at a time, or by groups of plural eggs, by moving the egg pick-uphead in an X and Y directions above the tray to complete or stabilize.

Other features of the method will appear from the following descriptionof an egg positioning system.

Thus, a purpose of the invention is also to provide a system forpositioning eggs on a stabilizing tray, the tray comprising evenlydistributed cells in which eggs are positioned, one or more cells beinglikely not to contain eggs, this information being stored in aninformation processing unit, which system comprising means in the formof a robot having an egg pick-up head, driven by the informationprocessing unit in order to pick up one or more eggs from a supply trayand to place them in empty cells of the stabilizing tray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the systemcomprises a conveyor for moving the tray, under means for detecting thepresence/absence of eggs in the cells of the tray, to the stabilizingstation.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the detection meansare in the form of a gantry fitted with sensors placed over a conveyorand whereunder the tray moves.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the egg pick-uphead of the means in the form of a robot comprises pick-up means forpicking-up a group of several eggs.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the means in theform of a robot are arranged so as to be able to place the eggs in thecells of the stabilizing tray one by one or by group of plural eggs.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the means in theform of a robot are arranged so as to be able to pick up the eggs bygroup from a supply tray, each group corresponding to a sub-multiple ofthe supply tray; the pick-up management makes it possible tosuccessively pick up and in groups all the eggs placed in the supplytray.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the means in theform of a robot comprise means for moving the pick-up head in X and Ydirections in the stabilizing station.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the systemcomprises a second conveyor for moving the supply tray, under secondmeans for detecting the presence/absence of eggs in the cells of thetray, to the stabilizing station.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, these seconddetection means are shaped in the form of a gantry fitted with sensorsplaced over a conveyor and whereunder the supply tray moves.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stabilizingstation is sized so as to make it possible for the means in the form ofa robot to reach all the cells of the stabilizing tray and to place anegg thereto, whatever the position of the egg at the picking-up meansis.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the picking-upmeans are operable by one or several, being controlled by theinformation processing unit; the latter is able to manage the depositionof several eggs simultaneously according to the empty cells placed inthe operating range of the picking up means according to the positioningof the robot-forming means, by taking into account the available eggscarried by these means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood upon reading the followingdescription of various embodiments of the present invention, given byway of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a stabilizing system according to an embodimentof the present the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken according to line A-A of FIG. 1.

While the present invention is amenable to various modifications andalternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of examplein the drawings and will be described in detail. It should beunderstood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention tothe particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention isto cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

On these figures has been illustrated a stabilizing system designated bythe general reference 1 of egg trays, whereof one is designated by thegeneral reference 2, to be moved on a conveyor or on any other transportmeans designated by the general reference 3 and exhibiting anyappropriate structure.

In fact, such a system may be integrated into a classic-typeegg-processing machine as has previously been indicated.

On its entry in the stabilizing system, the egg tray passes under agantry designated by the general reference 4 on these figures, fittedwith means for detecting the presence or absence of an egg in each cellof the tray.

Various means for implementing these detection means may becontemplated, be they optical or not.

The detection is thus servocontrolled classically at the displacementspeed of the tray to obtain a complete and precise analysis of the trayin its entirety and of each of its cells, in order to determine thepresence or absence of an egg in each cell of the tray.

Alternatively, this detection device may be omitted, and the informationrelating to the presence or absence of eggs may come from a priorcandling and removal operation. However, it is advantageous to providethis detection device as it makes it possible to eliminate the risk ofnon-removal of the eggs due to a failure during this prior step.

Once the tray has been fully analyzed, this tray 2 to be filled arrivesinto a stabilizing station wherein automated means in the form of arobot are adapted to pick up replacement eggs from a stabilizing tray ora supply tray designated by the general reference 5 on these figures,and to stock-up, i.e., fill, the empty holes of the stabilizing tray.

To this end, the system comprises means in the form of a robotdesignated by the general reference 6 on these figures, comprising meansfor moving an egg pick-up head, designated by the general reference 7 onthese figures, in an X and Y directions, this pick-up head comprisingmeans for picking up groups of eggs in the stabilizing tray 5 to arrangethem in the empty cells of the tray to be filled 2. The stabilizing tray5 comprises a number of cells that is a multiple of the number of eggsof the picked-up group.

These means in the form of a robot are thus driven by a computer orinformation processing unit, also connected to the detection means ofgantry 4 for locating the empty place(s) of the tray to be filled 2. Themeans are also driven to search successively the groups of eggs in thestabilizing tray 5.

In the embodiment described in these figures, the pick-up head comprisespicking up means of a group of twenty five eggs distributed over fiverows of five columns and the stabilizing tray corresponds to six groupsof twenty five eggs.

Needless to say that various embodiments may be contemplated.

For example, the means 6 in the form of a robot may be actuated byelectric motors or other.

The pick-up head 7 and the egg picking up means may also exhibit anykind of appropriate structure provided with a jack forlifting/descending suction-cup means associated to suction means,whereof the structure is well known in the state of the art to handleeggs of this type.

Once the tray to be filled 2 is full, it may then be brought towardsanother station of the processing machine, that is, for example astation for vaccine injection into these eggs.

Various modes for obtaining the stabilizing trays can be contemplated.

For example, they can be filled manually or obtained during the passageof a first tray under the detection means of the gantry 4.

It is also to be noted that the stabilizing tray may stop or not inposition in the stabilizing tray, for example, on the basis of thenumber of holes thereof to completed.

Thus, it is to be understood that such a system exhibits a number ofadvantages regarding the egg processing rate.

1. An automated method for positioning eggs on a stabilizing tray havinga plurality of cells, the method comprising: detecting a presence or anabsence of eggs in the cells of the stabilizing tray; picking up atleast one egg from a supply tray; and placing the at least one egg in anempty cell of the stabilizing tray.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing an egg pick-up head; and picking up eggs with theegg pick-up head by groups from a supply tray having a plurality of eggcells that is a multiple of a group.
 3. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising: placing all the eggs of a first group; and picking up asecond group of eggs from the supply tray after the step of placing allthe eggs of the first group.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: providing an egg pick-up head; and placing a plurality ofeggs are individually or by groups by moving the egg pick-up head in afirst X direction and a second Y direction above the stabilizing tray.